Tosh Lupoi has business to tend to with Oregon bound for the College Football Playoff, but he will have a new job once the No. 4 ranked Ducks’ run comes to an end.
Cal announced Thursday evening that Lupoi, the Ducks’ defensive coordinator and a former Bears player, will be the Bears’ head coach for the 2026 season. He and football general manager Ron Rivera will hold a press conference Friday afternoon.
Lupoi’s contract is for five years, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. Financial terms were not disclosed.
“I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to come home,” Lupoi said. “Cal is a special place that shaped me, and it’s an incredible honor to return to Berkeley and lead this football program. I’m energized by the challenge ahead and excited to unite our players, alumni, and supporters. We will build a tough, disciplined, and relentlessly competitive team that represents Cal with pride, while always committing to academic excellence.”
The Bears will face Hawaii in the Hawaii Bowl on Dec. 24, but Lupoi won’t be on the sidelines. His Ducks (11-1) were fifth in the most recent College Football Playoff Rankings and will be plenty busy. Oregon coach Dan Lanning said earlier this week that Lupoi and offensive coordinator Will Stein, who was hired as the head coach at Kentucky on Monday, will remain with the Ducks throughout their College Football Playoff run.
Lupoi, 44, was named a finalist earlier this week for the Broyles Award, given to the nation’s top assistant, for a second straight year. The Ducks defense ranks third nationally in total defense and eighth in scoring defense.
“His strong character, tireless work ethic, coaching acumen and recruiting talents all make him the perfect fit to lead us into the next great chapter of Cal football,” Rivera said in the release.
Lupoi was a defensive lineman at Cal from 2000 through 2005. After two seasons as a grad assistant, Lupoi joined Jeff Tedford’s staff in 2008 as the defensive line coach at the age of just 26, making him the youngest full-time coach in Cal history, according to the school. Lupoi helped recruit defensive linemen Cameron Jordan and Tyson Alualu, who became first-round NFL draft picks.
He coached at Cal through 2011 and then moved on to Washington, where he was on the staff alongside former Cal coach Justin Wilcox, who was fired last month after losing the Big Game to Stanford.
The former De La Salle star moved to Alabama, where he crossed paths with Lanning and eventually rose to become the defensive coordinator in 2018 under legendary head coach Nick Saban.
Lupoi was a defensive line coach for three teams in three years in the NFL before returning to the college ranks to be Oregon’s defensive coordinator when the Ducks hired Lanning after the 2021 season.
UC Berkeley chancellor Rich Lyons, who has taken a larger role in shaping the athletics department than prior administrations, lauded Lupoi’s focus on player experience.
“I’m convinced he has the skillset, experience and personal qualities needed to build a best-in-class football program at UC Berkeley — one that operates in a manner consistent with our university’s values and unwavering commitment to excellence,” Lyons said in the release.
Wilcox’s nine-year run in charge of the Bears ended Nov. 23 after a sloppy 31-10 loss to Stanford, the Bears’ first loss in the rivalry in five years. Nick Rolovich took over as interim coach and led Cal to an upset win over SMU in its season finale. Even with Lupoi in the fold, Rolovich almost certainly will coach the Bears in their Christmas Eve bowl game.